Charles Venator-Santiago, Associate Professor at the University of Connecticut, identified among the reasons for the significant debt obligations of Puerto Rico and the high level of corruption in the island state.
Puerto Rico is unlikely to become the 51st American state in the near future, despite the fact that the residents of Puerto Rico once again expressed their support in the referendum held there. This opinion was expressed by Associate Professor Charles Venator-Santiago of the University of Connecticut in a conversation with a TASS correspondent on Friday.
The next referendum on joining the USA as a state was held in Puerto Rico on 3 November. The residents of the island nation associated with the United States were asked to answer the question: “Should Puerto Rico be immediately accepted as a state? “Around 52.3% of the electorate voted in favour and 47.7% against.
The results of the referendum are advisory in nature, and the final decision on this issue must be made by the US Congress, in accordance with US law. However, according to Venator Santiago, it is unlikely that the island will join the US as a state in the near future. “This referendum is not expected to lead to anything. <…> Not now”, – he said. According to the expert, there are several reasons for this, including the significant debt obligations of Puerto Rico and the high level of corruption there.
The third reason is political. It has to do with the balance of power in the American Congress.
“Puerto Ricans vote for Democrats, so giving Puerto Rico statehood would mean giving the Democratic Party two seats in the Senate and four seats in the House of Representatives”, – explained Venator Santiago.
Currently, the majority in the upper house of the American legislature is held by Republicans and in the lower house by Democrats. According to NBC TV’s forecast, the Democrats will retain control of the House of Representatives after the general elections in the USA on Tuesday. There are no official forecasts for the Senate yet, but the American media estimate that it is likely to remain under Republican control.
“If the Senate [situation] changes, <…> we can see some discussion, but again, until the problems of debt and corruption are solved, I don’t expect any change”, – said Venator Santiago, answering the question of whether changing the balance of power in the Upper House could lead to any change in the status of Puerto Rico.